UniBond Premier League

10th October 2006

Attendance - 357

Team - Campbell, Reid(Wilkinson), Brumwell, Appleby, Farthing, Wilford, McTiernan(Claisse), Drinkall, Raw, Brunskill, Ormerod - Sub not used Nogan

Report - by www.whitbytoday.co.uk - STRIKER Danny Brunskill finally ended his mini goal-drought with a superb strike to sink Gateshead – but not before the Blues again threatened to let a two-goal lead slip at home.
The result moves Whitby up into fourth spot in the league, just three points behind leaders AFC Telford.
The Blues took an early lead following an uneventful first eight minutes of play as Tommy Raw swept home emphatically with a sweet left-footed strike.
Gateshead had a chance to level instantly as they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area but David Southern's free-kick was blocked twice.
A flowing move down the right saw Raw use his electric pace to surge free of his marker. His pass to Danny Brunskill was turned on to Matty Appleby whose first-time drive whizzed past keeper Simon Bishop's outstretched palm but just wide of the far post.
The Tynesiders were limited to sporadic attacks in the first half but almost caught the Blues' napping at the back. A long ball up the left found Neil Tarrant whose cheeky strike towards the near post was well stopped on the line by keeper Dave Campbell.
But Whitby then doubled their lead courtesy of leading scorer Brunskill. He needed one touch to create space for a shot and a second to crack the ball into the net for a classy strike, despite Bishop's best efforts to keep it out.
Whitby could have been out of sight by the interval had just one of the numerous players in a congested zone got the faintest of touches to Dave McTiernan's inswinging corner. The biggest threat to Whitby's supremacy was the thick fog which rolled in during half-time, prompting fears the game would be abandoned.
Gateshead sub Stephen Baker decided to use the conditions to his advantage with a 30-yard piledriver destined for the roof of the net – but there was nothing wrong with Campbell's vision as he reacted well to tip the ball over for a corner.
The visitors capitalised on a sustained spell of pressure as they halved the deficit just after the hour mark, with James Curtis heading home powerfully.
Whitby almost regained their two-goal advantage in innocuous style. Ant Ormerod drifted in a harmless looking shot from the edge of the area which Bishop decided to leave alone, but it bounced off the post and back into play.
But it was as close as the Blues came to a third goal as their lead looked increasingly fragile.
Southern grazed a post with a good strike while Campbell made two good saves late on to help Whitby on the way to their eighth league win of the season.
Gateshead were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men when Stephen Salvin caught Raw with a fierce late challenge but the referee decided a yellow card would be sufficient.